Bermudian's Sponseller hopes improvements lead to PIAA gold

Tristan Sponseller consulted a list of improvements needed in his pursuit of a Class AA crown at 170 pounds.

By DANIEL PAULLING The Evening Sun

Posted:
03/08/2013 11:19:15 PM EST

Bermudian Springs' Tristan Sponseller locks on top of North Penn's Ben Minnich during the Class AA 170-pound bout on Friday at Giant Center in Hershey. Sponseller beat Minnich to advance to the semifinals. (The Evening Sun - Shane Dunlap)

Bermudian Springs' Tristan Sponseller can laugh about "the list" now.

He watched his 11-3 District 3 Class AA championship loss to Peter Renda on video with his father, Mark, who wrote down everything his son needed to improve. Sponseller admits the list was lengthy.

With Renda looming in the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships' 170-pound final today, Sponseller recounted what he most needed to fix.

"I'm going to have to work my offense more," he said. "I have to stay aggressive like I did this match on my feet. If I keep going after him and getting my shots, instead of backing up, that's what I need."

To beat Renda (41-0), however, Sponseller will likely need to check off each item his dad wrote.

The Brandywine Heights senior is ranked No. 5 nationally by InterMat Wrestling and is committed to North Carolina State. He's only gone six minutes seven times this season.

"Renda's the favorite," Eagles coach Dave McCollum said.

Sponseller (47-3) planned to review the list his father made and try to improve between Friday night and today's 2 p.m. finals session at the Giant Center in Hershey. He also wanted to forget about the previous matchup.

"I can't go into it thinking I'm going to get beat bad or get beat," Sponseller said. "I have to think I can win it going into it."

He enters today's competition after two strong performances Friday.

After opening the tournament with a 17-7 major decision that upset him, Sponseller earned a 15-0 technical fall against North Penn's Ben Minnich and a 6-1 decision against Port Allegany's Alexander Gular.

"I think he's built up a good amount of momentum," McCollum said. "I don't know if momentum has much to do with winning, but it does keep you in a good frame of mind. I think it could be a great final match if Tristan comes in all business. I'm sure Renda is going to."

* * *

Stover wins 100th: As 10 p.m. approached Friday, Trevor Stover sat down, sweat pressing his hair to his forehead, and was asked to summarize his day. He took a moment before responding.

"I don't know where to start," he said. "I don't even know how many matches I wrestled today. I guess I started off with Nazar, I guess was my first match. Was it?"

Yes, it was -- a bout against defending state champion Nazar Mironenko that turned into a fight. Mironenko, fresh off a semifinal loss, punched Stover in the second period and was disqualified.

The match righted Stover's postseason.

"It's confidence, man," he said. "You beat a state champ and pretty much handle him like I did in that match, I felt like I was in control the whole time. That's an amazing feeling. It's a lot of confidence. That's probably three-quarters of this game."

The victory allowed Stover, a Biglerville senior who is 40-4, to earn two more wins, enough to get the vaunted 100th of his career and enough for a chance to compete in the third-place match against Susquenita's Brent Sterner, who is 1-1 against Stover this postseason.

"Coming into this weekend, I didn't think I was going to get (100), to be honest," he said. "I dropped down (into consolations) and jumped on the train and ran through everything."

Brown falls short of goal: Hanover junior Ian Brown has held a season-long goal of winning a state title. The dream ended Friday night with a 5-1 tiebreaker semifinal loss to Nick Zanetta of Keystone Oaks.

He's trying to maintain a positive focus.

"I'd love to be in a state championship," Brown said. "But this is as important, to come back and prove yourself and get third. There's 1,000 kids that don't have the opportunity that I have here."

With the score tied at 0 after overtime, Zanetta chose bottom. Brown, as he had done during the second period when Zanetta chose bottom, jumped onto Zanetta's back as he stood up. Zanetta, however, managed a reversal and then earned three back points.

"I felt in control there, and I wasn't," Brown (39-3) said. "Unfortunately, it came back to bite me in the butt."

He responded with a 10-0 major decision against Brookville's Dalton Zimmerman and will face Lake Lehman junior Austin Harry (41-1), who lost 5-0 to Zanetta earlier in the tournament, in the 132-pound third-place match.